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Keith Urban Celebrates Career Milestones

Keith
Urban celebrated his latest Number One, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” with
the songwriters of the hit at The Basement East in Nashville. At the
press conference before the
celebration, we (the media) had a chance to interview everyone
involved. With Keith in the middle, the questions started.

“The
Idea (for Blue Ain't Your Color) came to me when I was waking up and
the TV was on and the word “Blue” was on the screen,” said Toronto
native Steven Lee Olsen. “I brought
it to Clint first then we knew Hillary needed to be a part of this.”

Hillary
Lindsey said her thoughts on the creation of the song were, “It was all
for the song. Making the song the best it could be.”

Then
it was Keith’s turn. “It was just a feeling, the melody, where the
words went. It was an immediately love,” said Keith of his first time
hearing “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

Keith
was asked, “What are you most proud of?” Keith responded very quickly
and with a big smile, “Marrying Nic,” he said, referring to his wife
Nicole Kidman. He went on to
brag about how they have an understanding and love in their marriage,
that has brought them through the bad times and the good.

When
Keith was asked about being on the front row at the Oscars, he laughed
and said, “I don’t rate to get the good seats. I'm the grateful ‘plus
one.’” Keith was then asked
for his thoughts about the Oscar snafu. “The moment was surreal at the
Oscars,” he said. “We were all in shock.”

Then
it was party time. We went into the main room at The Basement East,
where Music Row friends and family packed in to celebrate the team
behind the ACM Awards Song of the
Year nomination and Keith Urban’s hit single, "Blue Ain't Your Color."

The
celebration kicked off in high gear with an incredible live performance
of "Blue Ain't Your Color" by Urban, the songwriters and
producer/guitarist Dann Huff.

Then
came the kudos from the music industry well-wishers who took to the mic
to offer their congrats. These included Mike Dungan, president of
Urban's label home Capitol/UMG
Nashville. Then the music publishers followed suit, followed by the
songwriters taking their turn on stage, giving us the true meaning of
the ‘Stars lining up on that day.’

The
tune marked the eighteenth chart-topper for songwriter Hillary Lindsey
and the second for co-writer Clint Lagerberg, while songwriter-artist
Steven Lee Olsen celebrated
his very first #1 song.

From
the stage Steven recalled a childhood memory. “I remember playing my
guitar in my mom’s living room and I remember it was the first time it
made me realize that I didn’t
have to be anything I wasn’t. That being said, it gave me the courage
to move to Nashville.” He also stated, that he is one of Keith’s biggest
fans and the reason he moved to Nashville 11 years ago.

ACM
NOTES: Lindsey is nominated for the ACM's Songwriter of the Year award.
Keith Urban leads the field of nominees with seven nominations in five
categories for the 52nd annual
Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban is up for ACM awards in the
categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album (for both artist and
producer) Song Of The Year and Single of the Year.

Keith
was signed to Capital in 1997, the same year Hillary was signed to
ASCAP. They will celebrate their 20-year anniversary with their
respective companies. This is a perfect
example of your music paths coming full circle.

"This
song will live on through our lives from years to come,” said
Capitol/UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, referring to “Blue Ain’t Your
Color.” The event was hosted by ASCAP's
Mike Sistad and Beth Brinker, the party was sponsored in part by First
Tennessee Bank.

>
Here are some of the amazing stats that were read from the stage. Keith
has sold, 18 million records, 1.4 billion downloads and has had 22
number one singles and 37 Top Ten
singles and is thus a record holder in country music.And there’s more… 4 consecutive number one singles from the album
RIPCORD … 42 consecutive weeks in the 10 album charts… Most streamed
country song in one week with 140 million streams… 2 billion on Pandora
that means Keith has now outdone superstar
band U2… Number 4 country album of 2016 and 2017… Some truly amazing
numbers.

Preshias Harris for Country Music News International(Photo Credit: Ed Rode for ASCAP)